Window well cover



April 14, 1964 c. E. BURNHAM 3,128,508

wINnow WELL covER Filed May 25, 1961' yam@ United States Patent O 3,128,508 WINDOW WELL COVER Charles E. Burnham, Box 312, Broadway Road, Lutherville, Md. Filed May 23, 1961, Ser. No. 112,047 2 Claims. (Cl. 201) The present invention relates to a basement window well, and more particularly to a cover for such a window well.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a window well cover which includes a door or member that can be readily shifted or moved to a raised or lowered position, and for example when the door is moved to a raised postion air can circulate through a basement windown in order to permit ventilation of a particular area, and wherein the door can be moved to a lowered position in order to prevent rain or the like from entering the window well.

A further object is to provide such a window well cover which is constructed so that it is not likely to break, and wherein window wells or similar areaways will be protected from snow, rain, leaves, insects and debris or undesirable matter, and wherein the window well cover can be left on during the summer as well as the winter so that for example it will eliminate the necessity of having basement screens and storm Windows, and wherein the window well cover can be readily installed without requiring any special skill or complicated tools or the like.

A further object is to provide a window well cover of the type stated that is economical to manufacture and efficient in operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specifications and claims, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the window well cover of the present invention, and with parts broken away.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l and showing the movable door in lowered or closed relation relative to the apertured or perforated section of the outer hood or shell.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the door raised so as to permit ventilation through the window well and showing the basement window opened as contrasted to FIGURE 2 wherein the basement window is shown closed.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2 and being on a reduced scale.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manually operable knob or handle of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through the outside hood or shell and showing the small apertures which are of a size so as to permit air to circulate therethrough, but which are small enough so that insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, or the like cannot generally pass therethrough.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a portion of a building such as a house which includes the usual wall 11, and the numeral 12 indicates the grade or ground, while the numeral 13 indicates a basement window, and the numeral 14 indicates a well that is contiguous to the basement window 13. As shown in FIGURE 2 for example, a corrugated wall piece or body member 15 is provided contiguous to the well 14 in the usual manner.

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According to the present invention there is provided a Window well cover which is indicated generally by the numeral 16, and the cover 16 includes an arcuate quarterspherical shaped outer hood 17 which is provided with a ilange 18 thereon, and the flange 1S is adapted to be secured to the building wall 11 as for example by means of screws 19, and a suitable sealing compound such as a siutable mastic or caulking 20 is adapted to be arranged between the ilange 18 and the wall 11 in order to insure that there will be a tight seal at this junction.

The hood 17 includes a lower section 21 which is provided with a plurality of spaced apart apertures or perforations 22 therein, and the upper section 23 of the hood 17 does not have any perforations or apertures therein. Arranged on the lower edge portion of the hood 17 is a grooved clamp or support portion 24 which is arranged in engagement with the upper edge of the member 15, FIGURE 2. As shown in the drawings there is provided in the inner surface of the hood 17, lower and upper lips or shoulders 25 and 26, and these lips follow the contour of the arcuate hood 17 and are secured thereto or formed integral therewith.

The numeral 27 indicates a movable door or closure which is adjustably or movably mounted below and within the hood 17, and the door 27 has on the upper portion thereof a generally arcuate hook 28 which is adapted to selectively engage the lip 26 as later described in this application. One side of the door 27 is pivotally connected to a corresponding adjacent portion of the hood 17 by means of the pivot pin 29, and the opposite side of the door 27 is pivotally connected to the adjacent side portion of the hood 17 by means of a unit 30, FIGURE 5, and the unit 30 is shown to comprise a pin or shaft 31 which is suitably keyed or otherwise aixed to the movable door 27, and the shaft 31 is free to rotate in a suitable opening in the adjacent portion of the cover 17, and the shaft 31 has a manually operable handle or knob 32 on the outer end thereof.

In FIGURE 3 the window 13 is in an open or lowered position so that the window opening 33 is exposed or uncovered in order to permit air to circulate through the apertures 22 and through the window opening 33 in order to ventilate a basement or the like.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a window well cover, and with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the cover as indicated by the numeral 16 in its entirety, is shaped or constructed so as to include or embody the outer shell or hood 17, and the hood 17 includes the upper section 23 which is not perforated, and the hood 17 further includes the lower section 21 which is perforated or apertured as at 22. The hood 17 is adapted to be fastened to the building wall 11 as for example by means of the screws 19 which extend through the ange 1S and which engage the wall 11 as shown in FIGURE 2, and caulking or the like as indicated by the numeral 2t) serves to insure that there will be a iuid tight seal between the flange 18 and wall 11.

The lower portion of the hood 17 has the flap or support portion 24 thereon which engages the upper edge of the corrugated member 15 and this construction serves to insure that the hood 17 will be maintained immobile in its proper position. Arranged within the hood 17 and positioned therebelow is the movable door 27 which is of a smaller size than the hood 17 so that for example the hood 17 may have a size corresponding to one-fourth of a sphere, while the door 27 may have a size corresponding to one-eighth of a sphere. The door 27 is pivotally mounted or arranged within the hood 17 due to the provision of the pivot pin 29 on one side and the pivot mounting 30 on the opposite side, and the mounting 30 3 includes the manually operable knob 32 which can be manually turned so as to shift or move the door 27. Thus, the door 27 can be arranged in a lowered position as shown in FIGURE 2, or else the door 27 can be moved to a raised position as shown in FIGURE 3.

When air is being circulated through the cover, as for example when a basement is being ventilated or aired, the parts are adapted to be arranged as shown in FIGURE 3 wherein it will be seen that the door 27 is in a raised position, and the outer or upper surface of the door 27 frictionally engages the lip 26 and this frictional engagement between the door 2'7 and the lip 26 provides a holding means in order to maintain or hold the door 27 stationary in its raised position. However, when suiicient manual pressure is applied to the knob 32, the holding action between the door 27 and lip 26 can be overcome in order to permit the door 27 to be shifted to a lowered or other adjustable position as desired or required. When the door 27 is in the raised position of FIGURE 3, air can enter or circulate through the small apertures 22. With the parts in the position of FIGURE 3, the window 13 is adapted to be lowered or moved to an open position so that the air which enters or circulates through the apertures 22 in the lower section 21 of the hood 17 can circulate through the window opening 33 in order to properly ventilate the basement or other area.

Although the invention herein described is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is not to be limited to the details of construction herein described other than as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a building wall and a semicircular vertically disposed sheet metal window well having an exposed upper edge adjacent the ground surface below and outwardly of said building wall, a well cover comprising an upright outer hood of quarter-spherical shape having the lower edge thereof engaging the well upper edge and the upper edge thereof engaging the building wall, there being apertures in the portion of said hood adjacent the lower edge, a door conformably shaped to t snugly within said hood normally disposed within said hood adjacent the lower edge thereof and in covering relation with respect to said apertures, and means connecting said door to said hood for swinging movement from the normal position to a position adjacent to the portion of said hood adjacent the upper edge and out of covering relation with respect to said hood apertures, a first lip on the inner face of said hood adjacent the lower end thereof, said lip receiving the lower end of said door when said door is in the normal position, and a second lip on the inner face of said hood intermediate the ends thereof, said door upper end being provided with a hook portion received in said second lip when said door is 'in the normal position.

2. In combination with a building wall and a semicircular vertically disposed sheet metal window well having an exposed upper edge adjacent the ground surface below and outwardly of said building Wall, a well cover comprising an upright outer hood of quarter-spherical shape having the lower edge thereof engaging the well upper edge and the upper edge thereof engaging the building wall, there being apertures in the portion of said hood adjacent the lower edge, a door conformably shaped to t snugly within said hood normally disposed within said hood adjacent the lower edge thereof and in covering relation with respect to said apertures, and means connecting said door to said hood for swinging movement from the normal position to a position adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the portion of said hood adjacent the upper edge and out of covering relation with respect to said hood apertures, a lirst lip on the inner face of said hood adjacent the lower end thereof, said lip receiving the lower end of said door when said door is in the normal position, and a second lip on the inner face of said hood intermediate the ends thereof, said door upper end being provided with a hook portion received in said second lip when said door is in the normal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,110 Corbitt May 16, 1905 1,975,316 Ferris a Oct. 2, 1934 2,080,786 Robles May 18, 1937 2,761,180 Breliwitz Sept. 4, 1956 2,863,177 Nelson et al Dec. 9, 1958 2,898,638 Druekhamer Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,553 Great Britain May 30, 1907 530,632 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1940 88,457 Sweden Feb. 9, 1937 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A BUILDING WALL AND A SEMICIRCULAR VERTICALLY DISPOSED SHEET METAL WINDOW WELL HAVING AN EXPOSED UPPER EDGE ADJACENT THE GROUND SURFACE BELOW AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID BUILDING WALL, A WELL COVER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT OUTER HOOD OF QUARTER-SPHERICAL SHAPE HAVING THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF ENGAGING THE WELL UPPER EDGE AND THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF ENGAGING THE BUILDING WALL, THERE BEING APERTURES IN THE PORTION OF SAID HOOD ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE, A DOOR CONFORMABLY SHAPED TO FIT SNUGLY WITHIN SAID HOOD NORMALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOOD ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF AND IN COVERING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID APERTURES, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID DOOR TO SAID HOOD FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT FROM THE NORMAL POSITION TO A POSITION ADJACENT TO THE PORTION OF SAID HOOD ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE AND OUT OF COVERING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOOD APERTURES, A FIRST LIP ON THE INNER FACE OF SAID HOOD ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, SAID LIP RECEIVING THE LOWER END OF SAID DOOR WHEN SAID DOOR IS IN THE NORMAL POSITION, AND A SECOND LIP ON THE INNER FACE OF SAID HOOD INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID DOOR UPPER END BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOOK PORTION RECEIVED IN SAID SECOND LIP WHEN SAID DOOR IS IN THE NORMAL POSITION. 